"It's been a while," Allison's voice was soft in the empty cafeteria. It was cold and her mascara streaked when she pawed at her eye with the back of her hand. She messed lazily with her hair and absently dug into the black clutch on the table before she pushed brown locks back out of her face and tied them with a rubber band. The woman looked up and hazel eyes blinked back at her from behind an array of thick dark lashes but the pilot stayed quiet, waving his fingers through the steam that rose from a coffee mug sitting in front of him.

"Derek," Allison's voice was soft and she shifted to reach across the uncomfortable metal table and tap on the top of his hand. His lips twitched into something of a smile and the man lifted his gaze, "Yeah, it has been a while hasn't it?" She tilted her head to the side and her fingers curled around his hand as she gripped it gently, "A year," she whispered, "It's been almost a year and we didn't get a phone call, a letter, you didn't even say goodbye." His jaw tightened and he pulled his hand away to slip his index finger through the handle of the coffee cup and set it against his lips. Allison watched him, dark eyes flicked from the small faded scars on his arms to the sharp line of his jaw. Derek didn't answer, he just placed his elbows on the table and wrapped both of his hands around the warm cup.

"Scott was devastated when you left, he didn't know where you ran off to or if you were okay-"

"I wasn't," Derek's voice broke and he looked up at Allison who stared back at him, "I wasn't okay."

The woman looked down at the table and bit down on her lip. It was four o'clock in the morning and the air was stale and stripped raw. Allison had put the boys to bed close to an hour ago, assured Stiles that everything would be explained to him in the morning and kissed Scott, hushing him when the words coming out of his mouth caused traffic between his lips and started running into one another. When she had hurriedly walked back to the control room she found Derek standing with his arms crossed over his chest and two coffee cups dangling from his hand. She had never expected to see him again, to try and re-connect. Allison had never expected him to actually come back.

His words stung and she closed her eyes, "I know, none of us... none of us were okay, but..." Allison's words faded into the silent room and she tried to reach for his hand again but he sat back in the chair, eyeing her carefully. She inhaled sharply and apologized, holding her open palm out and offering a tired smile, "I'm sorry for bringing... We won't... let's just forget about it for right now, what have you been doing? C'mon," she curled her fingers back and forth and Derek's lips pulled back into a smile as he set a warm hand on her own.

"Coaching girls soccer back home," he murmured, sipping on his coffee. Allison laughed and tugged gently on his calloused fingertips, "Really? You're so cute, mister big and bad being a high school coach in Oregon. Look at'chu." They laughed and Derek rolled his eyes, listening to the echo of their voices bounce off the pillars around them. The conversation was soft, Derek asked about the program and how her father was, Allison asked about the weather in Fairview and if he had been seeing anyone. It was light-hearted and the old friends, as tired as they were, opened up like used books for one another and spilled bits and pieces into the stale air. When Derek looked down at his watch he sighed and flicked Allison's hand playfully, "It's almost five in the morning, go to bed," he smirked and she rolled her eyes at him. "Yeah, I have to be up in a couple hours. I'll probably have to bang on Stilinski's door to wake him up if Raleigh wants him in simulation at eight," her words were slurred through a yawn.

The exhausted combat specialist stood and cracked her neck before she mumbled 'see you in a few hours' and turned to walk towards the elevator. Derek blinked and tapped his fingers on the sides of his coffee cup, "Allison," his voice was low and she looked over her shoulder at him, "that was Stiles wasn't it, the kid with you and Scott. That's the kid-"

"He's not a kid, Derek," Allison was gentle with her words.

Derek's jaw tightened and he looked away, "That's him though. That's who Raleigh called me out here for." Allison nodded and Derek listened to her sigh as he stared blankly into the coffee cup gripped between his hands.

"You have to let it go," Allison's words cut the air like a knife and Derek's lips pursed into a thin line as the sound of his old friends feet against the ground became distant and faded.

Derek didn't say anything as she walked away, he just sat at the cold table in the empty cafeteria until his eyes trailed across the War Clock settled above the double doors that led to the east hangar. He watched the seconds turn to minutes and waited for the tightness in his chest to subside.

Stiles was awake when the sound of Allison's knuckles rapped on the metal door. He was sitting on his bed with his fingers pressed against his temples and when he heard her voice call from the hall he swallowed a shaky breath, "I'm up, I'm just... hold on." His body was sore, his head was pounding and when he finally pushed himself up off the bed and opened the door, it was a relief to see Allison standing with a glass of water in one hand and a bottle of Excedrin in the other. "You're a fucking angel sent from the heavens, Allison Argent," Stiles' voice was raspy from the yell-talking in the bar last night and the pilot wore his lack of sleep like a badge, dark circles staining the soft skin beneath his glasses. Allison rolled her eyes, "Well, I won't argue with you on that. You need to eat before simulation so let's go," she shoved her shoulder in the direction of the stair case and Stiles stuck his bottom lip out when she pulled on his arm and started dragging him, "Oh, come on!"

They ate and they laughed, reminisced on the night before. Stiles talked about how nice it was to meet everyone and Allison warmly chimed that he fit right in and she was glad Raleigh had chosen him. It was exhilarating to feel like Stiles was a part of something more than just the Jaeger program and his stomach fluttered gently. She scoffed when Stiles tried to thank her and he laughed when she rolled her eyes at his attempt to compliment her on how beautiful she looked. "I usually don't have the chance to get dolled up anymore," Allison shrugged and Stiles nodded, "Yeah, neither do I. Not like anyone here is going to be interested in a lanky college kid with nothing on his side except sarcasm." She choked on her juice and he stuck his tongue between his teeth when she croaked out a laugh, "Shut up! You're gorgeous, any guy here would fall over himself to get a chance to roll around with you."

Heat rose into the apple of Stiles' cheeks and he shoved a spoon full of oatmeal into his mouth, "That obvious, huh?" He lifted his eyes to look at her and she shook her head, "No, no, I just... My best friend, he liked guys and you would have never known it by looking at him. You're the same way, I just noticed that you never take a second glance at any of the women here." Stiles raised and eyebrow and winked playfully, "Well, you know-"

"You know what?" Scott's voice was light as he took a seat next to Allison and saluted Stiles with two fingers. Stiles smiled down at his food when Scott leaned over and pressed his lips gingerly against Allison's cheek, "Nothing, man. Just talking about my lack of interest in the female gender, that's all." Scott rolled his eyes, "Ah, yes. Allison always has a tendency to make her friends... friends... come out..." his words trailed off and Stiles watched as Scott's eyes disappeared. He stared over Stiles' shoulder, an unblinking gaze paired with parted lips and flushed cheeks. He looked nervous, mentally checked out of the conversation, like he had seen a ghost. Allison said nothing, she just glanced up and blinked a few times before she shook her head and turned her attention back to the plate of food in front of her.

Amber eyes narrowed and Stiles turned to look over his shoulder, "Scott are you..." his voice also faltered when he found the reason behind Scott's sudden dishevelment. Derek leaned against the far wall of the large room, his arms settled across his chest. Stiles' breath caught and he let his eyes trail across the body that stood far away from them. The sound of Allison inhaling sharply pulled his gaze back and he fumbled over a few words as Scott stumbled out of his seat and paced across the room. "Shit..." Allison kept her eyes on the two men, watched as Scott walked in front of Derek with his hands shoved deep into his pockets. Stiles felt as if he had been thrust into the middle of a situation he really had no place being a part of, but curiosity gnawed at him like a starving animal and he tried to be subtle as he let his eyes creep over his shoulder. He saw Derek's mouth move and tried not be transfixed on the way the pilot's jaw tightened and relaxed. He was nervous, not only for Allison but nervous because he knew the name. Derek. He had heard it before, years ago, and something about it made his thoughts scream and claw behind his eyes.

"Oh, thank god," Allison's voice shook and she let out a long breath, one that she had apparently been holding since Scott had left the table. Scott pulled Derek into a tight hug before stepping back and setting his hand against the pilots arm. Stiles hadn't seen Derek smile until then and when he did it felt like a knife was being shoved into his abdomen, sharp and warm. It caught him completely off-guard.

"So, uh... Who is? I don't really know what is, uh. What the fuck is going on," Stiles blinked at Allison, who had slouched in her chair and shook her head back and forth. As completely unfair as it felt to try and pry into their lives, Stiles felt like he had to in order to understand any of them. They were all so close, with history and damage. He wanted to know that history, to process that damage. It was the first time in years that Stiles wanted to go out of his way to learn something other than literature or a foreign language; he wanted to learn these people, to study them, piece them together and fall into them without any reserve. His bottom lip rolled between his teeth, tired eyes watching Allison as she finally turned her attention back to him, "It's a really long story, Stiles." His stomach immediately dropped when he heard the morose tone cradled in her voice and he looked down at the table, "Oh, no, yeah of course. I'm sorry, I-"

"No, it's fine. It's just... complicated. I'm sure you'll be tuned into everything soon enough," she watched Stiles as he stole glances over his shoulder and when he finally caught her smiling at him with her eyebrows raised, the beta stammered, "So, yeah. Uhm, okay. Simulation, let's- let's go do that-"

"Derek Hale," Allison's words were quiet and Stiles couldn't stop the heat from rising to his cheeks, "That's his name. The Alpha, the one Raleigh called for you?" She was careful as she edged forward, words slow and steady. The combat specialist eyed him and Stiles nodded, trying to contain the anxiety now circulating from his toes to his fingertips. "Well..." she shrugged and gestured to the man across the room, whose eyes raked across Stiles momentarily, "that's him." Stiles pulled his glasses from the bridge of his nose and set them on the table before he started fidgeting with his nail beds. His heart pounded, a sick nervousness spilling out over his organs.

Something about Derek made Stiles incredibly uneasy, whether it was his status or the fact that he had major history with the people who had taken him in under their wing, he didn't know. The pilot pushed his plate away and glanced up at Allison who still had her eyes fixed on him, "Looks like they're going to take a look at the Jaegers." Stiles glanced over his shoulder again to watch Scott and Derek descend into the hangar and when he turned his eyes back to Allison she tilted her head to the side, "You're not over-whelming me with a bunch of questions and honestly, that's what I expected."

Stiles ran his fingers through his hair and sighed when he set his glasses back on his nose, "What is there to ask? He was a big part of your life, that's obvious. We don't even know if we'll be compatible, so why worry about the rest. The only thing I'd like to know is a little bit about his history, like how exactly he's an Alpha with no co-pilot of his own." The bite at the end of his words made Allison fix her gaze on the table as she lifted her cup to her lips and took a short sip. He knew that in the end, no matter what he tried to pry out of Allison, she wasn't going to spill information that wasn't hers to give but when she looked up and saw his teeth set tight together her face softened, "Stiles, that's not something-"

"I know," Stiles breathed, nodding at her from across the table. She visibly relaxed, her eyes closed and she mumbled that it wasn't her story to tell. He just nodded back at her and tried his best to not over-think the situation. He reminded himself over and over that the first person here that made him feel at ease in any way was Raleigh. He was Stiles' mentor, and he had to continuously tell himself that sometimes blind trust wasn't something to be avoided. He needed to trust Becket, swallow his pride, and not be a coward when it came to Derek Hale. Stiles inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. It was hard to ignore the knots suddenly becoming prominent in his stomach but as Allison stood and told Stiles it was time to start training, he pulled himself out of the erratic nerves enveloping his body and walked with her towards the stair case.

It was one of the first times that it was completely silent between the two of them, Stiles was focused on clenching and unclenching his fists and Allison's eyes were far away as she thought about something from a time before the clock started ticking again. The quiet between them made Stiles uneasy, since last night when his eyes fell into the gaze of a piece of their direct history, him and Allison hadn't been the same. He felt jostled in the slight comfortability he had found and as they neared the end of the long hall way where the simulation room was hidden, Allison's phone rang. She answered and her pace slowed, nodding, "Stiles," she called gently when she noticed the pilot trailing ahead of her, "Yes. Yeah... No, I mean- No, I just. Do you think he's ready? I mean, shouldn't they- Yeah... No, you're right. Okay. Alright, see you in a couple minutes." Stiles blinked at her through the lenses of his glasses before he reached up and scratched the top of his head, "I'm guessing that was...?" She sighed and nodded along with his words, "Yes, that was Raleigh. It looks like he's warming Derek up right now so..." Allison's eyes trailed across Stiles as he swallowed and tilted his chin down to stare at his feet.

It was difficult to process the emotions crawling around inside him, whether it was anger or fear, reserve or excitement, Stiles couldn't decide. His palms were sweating and he walked quickly to keep Allison from catching on to the tremble in his legs. Inhale through the nose. Exhale through the mouth. Amber eyes darted around as they descended down the stairs and he tried to focus on nothing but the sound his boots made against the cold metal.

He shoved his hands into his pockets to conceal the tremors that ran through them and took in a shaky breath when Allison pushed through the doors of the gymnasium. Stiles' voice came out strange and choked, "Oh, holy fucking hell..."

Raleigh and Derek were sparring on the raised padded mat in the middle of the room. Allison couldn't help but laugh when Stiles started backtracking, the word 'no' slipping over his lips again and again before she reached out and tugged firmly on his wrist. "Don't be a big baby, you've seen it before-"

"No! No, I have not! It's like watching two Greek gods punch each other, this is ridiculous, no-"

"Stiles!" Raleigh's voice broke through his hushed complaints and he turned on his heels, fumbling to catch his glasses when they almost toppled off his face. His mentors chest heaved up and down as he tried to catch his breath and Derek stood beside him, shoulders rising and falling. Stiles cleared his throat before he threw a venomous glare towards Allison out of the corner of his eyes. He stepped forward, his feet scuffing across the ground as he neared the two men. "This is-"

"Derek," his voice caught Stiles off-guard just as much as his smile had, it was low, soft, nothing to what Stiles had expected. He looked up, feigning as much strength as he possibly could when Derek's eyes crawled across him. "I know," Stiles' voice was surprisingly even and Raleigh arched a brow, "Do you? Well, then, to make this easier. Derek-" he gestured with one hand to Stiles, "Stiles, and Stiles," he gestured with the other, "Derek." The two pilots nodded and Stiles tried with all his might to keep himself from dissecting the colors muddled around the veteran's pupils. Derek was beautiful and he reminded Stiles of something that would be on display, something carved out of marble or stone. Something completely unreal. "You two," Raleigh waved his hand between them and pointed to the mat, "You know what comes next. Go on." Stiles' breath hitched before his eyes fell to his feet and he plucked his glasses from their home atop the bridge of his nose. Allison smiled at Stiles as she walked towards Derek, reaching up and tickling at the scruff on his cheek. Derek swatted at her hand and grumbled something under his breath that Stiles couldn't make out.

"Stiles," Raleigh was at his side with a hand rested on his shoulder, "just do your thing. He'll do his. Don't be nervous, alright." Stiles wanted to laugh but he raised his brows and cracked his neck instead, "Oh yeah, definitely a fair fight," amber eyes watched Raleigh and the blonde smirked, "Never said it was, Stilinkski."

Derek pushed Allison away gently as a coy smile payed across her lips, "Don't underestimate him," her words were quiet and she tilted her head to the side when the pilot rolled his eyes at her. He didn't say anything back, simply flicked his wrist and shooed her off the mat before his attention settled back on the lean boy who was currently handing Allison his glasses. Stiles stepped on the mat after directing a whispered 'wish me luck' to Allison who walked over to stand next to Raleigh.

He didn't expect Derek to try and kick his feet out from underneath him, but when Stiles jumped and landed back on his feet it took the alpha by surprise. Derek's fist struck inches from his face and Stiles jolted his head to the side, taking in a sharp breath when he locked on to jungle eyes. Derek didn't hesitate and after three attempts, knocked Stiles to the ground. "One," his voice was quiet and Stiles gritted his teeth, swinging a leg to slam against the back of Derek's knees causing him to buckle. Stiles' foot hit his chest and Derek fell back, "One for one," Stiles hissed, pacing back and forth in front of the startled pilot at his feet. It went on like that for a while, Derek knocking Stiles back, Stiles knocking Derek back, Stiles dodging, Derek smirking. "You're quick," Derek muttered, twisting the beta's arm until it bent back and Stiles fell to his knees with a yelp. "I'm a lot of things," his breathy words made Derek hesitate and Stiles flipped, knocking Derek to his back with his foot over his throat, "Where were we, big guy? Five for five?"

Stiles couldn't decide whether it was fear or pride driving him, but the adrenaline seeping into his veins masked any other emotion at this point. His body was warm, eyes focused, and his heart pounded excruciatingly against his rib cage. Derek's eyes narrowed dangerously and he grabbed Stiles by the ankle, slamming him down against the mat. Derek snatched one of his wrists and pinned it above his head as calloused fingers wrapped around Stiles' throat, "Six for five." Stiles didn't move. He didn't fight back or squirm or say a god damn thing. His chest rose and fell as he submitted underneath the alpha hovering above him. Stiles' eyes lingered across his face, from his sharp jaw, to the scratch of the stubble on his cheeks, down to the straight line of his nose and the up-right curve of his eyes. When Raleigh had tried to explain what it would be like to find his co-pilot, he hadn't expected this. He hadn't expected something so incredibly out of his control, something menacingly unforgiving and breathtaking. It wasn't only that the wind had physically been knocked out of him, but when Derek blinked and his brows rose, Stiles couldn't help by smile. "You okay?" Derek whispered, uncurling his fingers from around Stiles' throat who reached up to rub at the sore area, "Yeah. No, I'm fine." Honey eyes stayed glued to Derek who sat back on his heels and turned his attention to Raleigh who had his hand pressed across his mouth. His eyes were scrunched and he tilted his head to the side, heaving a long sigh, "Get geared for simulation."

Allison's head turned quickly and dark curls swayed around her shoulders, "You're serious?! They've only sparred once and-"

"You're telling me you need to see more?" Raleigh stepped up on to the mat and reached down to take Stiles' hand, hoisting him to his feet. Confusion played across Stiles' face like a symphony as his eyes darted back and forth between Allison and Raleigh. The knots in his stomach suddenly became prevalent and his anxiety began to once again wash over him in waves, "W-wait, I mean, I'm not saying we aren't compatible because-" he laughed through the last word, holding his index finger up to Raleigh, "but don't you think-"

"When you know, you know."

It was a feminine voice that echoed in the gymnasium and Derek nodded, lips pulling up into a small smile as his eyes lidded closed. A warm hand draped across his shoulder and Mako's small lips curled upwards, "My wolf," her words were gentle and she turned to set soft palms on either side of his face, "I didn't think I would see you again." Derek made her look frail and small as she stood before him and he reached up to grip her fingers, "I'm sorry." It was all he said before she stroked her thumb across his face, "I know." The room fell silent, Raleigh watched them with his hands in the pockets of his jeans and Stiles looked towards Allison whose eyes were glossy and darted around to keep her tears in check. Mako turned to look at Stiles and the wisdom behind her eyes made him shudder, "You," her voice was sharp and Stiles fidgeted nervously with his glasses, "I was wrong about you. And you," she looked to Derek and raised a brow, "I was wrong about you too." Stiles exhaled a shaky breath and tried to cover it with a small chuckle, "Yeah, well, people are wrong about me all the time so..." he watched her while his words faded and she nodded as she walked over to stand at Raleigh's side. "People are wrong about a lot of things," she turned her eyes up to her co-pilot who snaked an arm around her waist, lips splitting into a smile, "and when you know you know," he mumbled, eyes peeking down at Mako who brushed her fingers gingerly across the top of his hand.

It was strange to see them together. They were fierce and delicate, one complete being, and the sight of them made Stiles yearn for that strength, for that bond. It was as if they breathed in time, moved in rhythm of each other and when Raleigh looked at Stiles and then trailed his eyes to Derek it was obvious that he had made the right decision. Derek's eyes were a color Stiles had never seen before and as the alpha stepped off the mat and walked passed him towards the door he felt something sink within him. "Take a break, we'll meet for simulation in an hour," Derek's voice was rough and he looked over his shoulder as he walked, brows arching when he glanced to Stiles, "You're tough, kid."

Raleigh looked down at Mako and dug his fingers playfully into her side, "Told you," he mumbled, causing her to hiss and slap at his hand as she squirmed away from him. Allison wiped at her eyes with her fingers and Mako walked over to her to grip her arms gently. Stiles caught Allison muttering something about Derek being called 'wolf' and Mako was cooing lovingly at her, but his attention was snatched away by Raleigh, "I knew it." His voice was husky and rough, like always, "I knew that you and Derek would be good together. You're techniques are really fluid," he paused and Stiles rolled his eyes, "Except for the part where he kicked my ass." Becket shook his head and bumped his shoulder against Stiles', "No, he didn't kick your ass. That's what was different, you found a balance. You just got," he paused and his brow rose, "a little, uh, distr-"

Raleigh tried to mask his laughter and Stiles lips pursed together. "Do not!" Stiles spat before he turned away and stalked towards the doors of the gymnasium, leaving Raleigh calling to him about not being late to simulation training and that he should drink a lot of water. Then the words that he had nearly forgotten came out of Becket's mouth and crashed down around him like a hurricane. "You guys will be in drift for the first time," Raleigh noticed Stiles stop in his tracks, saw his bony fingers curl into trembling fists at his sides. Stiles searched the ground for answers with his lips parted and a distinct burn itching inside his chest. Drift. It didn't always work, that's what he had been told. Only some people could drift with one another, and it was always different with each person. Each drift was different in general. Memories collided, emotions intertwined and two people merged into one mind. One incredible machine. Stiles' breathing was shaky and he jumped when Allison's hand rested on his back, "Hey, hey... Relax," her voice was calming, it had been since he met her, and as she rubbed his back he realized that he was going to have to share his life with a complete stranger within the next hour.

"Take him to the garden, get him some water and let him calm down," steel blue eyes lingered over Stiles who shot a poisonous glare at Raleigh, "I'm fine," the pilot bit. Raleigh's eyes rolled and he scoffed, "You don't have to act all tough, I was fucking scared too. So was Derek when he first drifted. That's why we're doing a simulation, so you can get adjusted to each other's thought process and find a groove." Raleigh poked Stiles in the side of the head when he walked by, earning a growl and a string of curses from him as he disappeared through the door. Mako was close behind and she stopped momentarily to lift Stiles' chin with two fingers, dark eyes watching him carefully. Stiles swallowed and straightened his back as she opened her mouth, "Don't chase the rabbit." Her words were chilling and all Stiles could manage to do was nod as her lithe figure slinked through the door and down the hallway.

Stiles was completely unprepared for the exquisite gem hidden on the fifth floor and he was even more unprepared for Allison to call Scott and have him meet them there. "They wanted the pilots to have a zen area, somewhere to escape when things got," Scott paused and searched for an appropriate word, "hard." He wasn't the most eloquent guy Stiles had ever met, but he was the most honest and Stiles appreciated that more than anything.

The entire area inside was lush and over-grown with exotic plants. Mist hung in the air to keep their leaves damp and ceiling fans circulated above to keep the room well filtered with cool air. Lillie's lined the back wall, and rose bushes tangled themselves against potted plants on the floor. There were small benches set throughout the room, a few were settled againjst a couple fishtail palms and the others were strewn throughout the bricked boxes of orchids and lilacs. Ferns hung from the ceiling on long chains and a large crooked tree sat in the middle of the room. Stiles' gaze absently fell across the moss growing up its trunk and couldn't help but think of Derek's eyes. He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair, "Yeah, well, I can imagine things would be a little stressful when you're trying to beat an alien to death while simultaneously not letting your co-pilot's memories get in the way of, you know, the violence," he flailed his hands in the air, earning a laugh from Scott who sat back and idly ran his finger across the petal of an oriental lily. "You're gonna be fine," Scott mumbled as he looked over to Stiles, "I know I don't know you that well yet but you seem pretty grounded and Derek, he's," Scott paused and smirked. "Derek is interesting. He's been through a lot and he's seen a lot of things and I'm not gonna lie, drifting with him is going to be... intense," Stiles looked at the ground as he listened to the engineer, "but you two apparently did well in combat, so..."

Stiles could tell that Scott was running out of ways to make him feel better about the situation and as he rested his elbows on his knees and tapped his feet against the damp ground of the green house, Stiles found himself lost in the thought of sharing a consciousness. Scott had stood to go join Allison at the far end of the garden where she ran her hands over bushels of tiny pink flowers and Stiles couldn't help but smile when they looked at each other. He thought about his father, about Danny and school and his normal day to day routine back at Brown that seemed so mundane compared to his life now. His mind buzzed and the ringing in his ears made his head ache. The hour went be faster than Stiles had wanted it too and when Allison and Scott stood in front of him, he looked up and tried to smile, "Anything I should know before I do this?"

Both of them went rigid and Scott scratched nervously at the back of his neck while Allison turned her eyes towards the glass door leading out into the hall. "Raleigh will fill you in on what to expect," it was Scott who spoke and when Stiles pushed himself to his feet they started the walk to the simulation room.

They spoke on the way, Stiles mumbling questions about things like old memories and whether or not he should resist with some things or just try to pretend like it was a dream for most of it. Allison and Scott both replied that it would probably be best if he didn't resist, but cautioned him on relaxing too far into the fog due to the ability to get trapped in a string of memories. His heart pounded and Stiles dug blunt fingernails into the flesh of his palm, debating whether or not now would be another appropriate time to pray to the god that had abandoned them.

Derek was standing outside the room when they approached and Raleigh was across from him. They spoke quietly, mumbling things to one another as Becket hung his head and reached out to grip Derek's shoulder. Stiles could tell it wasn't a conversation he should interrupt, but Scott thought other wise. "Hey, so, you guys might want to like fill him in on some stuff before the whole," Scott made some sort of gesture with his hands between Derek and Stiles, "you know, fusion and flooding-"

"Scott," Derek's voice was pointed and Stiles flinched when he heard the sound of the mans teeth clank together. Scott blinked as Allison took him by the arm and curled her fingers in a wave to Stiles, a hushed 'good luck' slipping from under her breath as they left to walk back down the hall. Stiles was shaking, his arms, his legs, everything was shaking, and the last thing he needed was a veteran pilot catching on to his fear. So he straightened his back, breathed as evenly as he could and set his eyes on Raleigh, "What do I need to know?" The question was direct and Raleigh shuffled his feet to stare at the ground before biting down again and again on the inside of his cheek. "It's not that you need to know anything, Stiles," his mentor sighed, "It's a double edged sword, if I explain things about Derek to you and explain things about you to Derek it could hurt the process. One of you could be over-thinking it in drift and get harnessed." Stiles blinked a few times and shoved his hands in the pockets of the maroon pants he was wearing, "Harnessed?"

Derek cleared his throat, "Stuck. If we know too much about each other we could get stuck in the memory. It's a possibility that could happen anyways but it's better to go at it from a clean slate than to go in expecting to find something." Stiles nodded, it made sense but going in blind made him more uneasy than he had expected. Amber eyes brushed across Derek's hands and up his arms until he caught himself trapped between two bright green rings blinking across at him. They were both exhausted, Stiles from his night out and the combat session not too long ago, and Derek from the sixteen hour flight and the restless morning he had spent with Allison. "So," Raleigh looked at both of them and turned, waving a hand, "let's get started."

Stiles felt every bone in his body start to vibrate when Raleigh locked him into the metal limbs. He strained his eyes and took in breath after breath to try and slow the rapid beating of his heart. This was it. This was what being a Jaeger pilot was at it's core, a bond, a relationship between two minds that synced like a computer. He was trying in every aspect to keep himself as calm as he could and when he caught the glimpse of Derek wincing as Raleigh latched the steel backing against his spine, it shamefully made Stiles feel more human. "I don't even know you and I'm really sorry that Raleigh called you out here for me," Stiles didn't know why he let the words escape, but when the door slid closed behind Raleigh, the words came rushing out, "We literally just met two hours ago and now I'm going to be in your head, and fuck, man. I know you've done this before but I'm not-"

"Stiles," he froze when Derek said his name and looked over to him as the lights dimmed in the stark white room, "I need you to listen to me the whole time. Relax. And listen." Stiles swallowed and bit down on his bottom lip, "O-okay," he called out to the darkness and looked through the shield of his helmet before red letters began to flash across the interface. Raleigh's voice came over the speaker and asked them if they were ready. Derek looked over to Stiles who looked back at him and Stiles tried to nod, "Yeah," Derek didn't stop looking at him as he spoke, just kept nodding at Stiles who looked like he was a baby bird who had fallen from his mothers nest. Honey eyes blinked and he opened his mouth to protest, to ask for a minute, just to squeak out a 'wait' but it was two late and he choked.

Left Hemisphere Initiated

It started in his spine, the drift. It felt like a kind of heat he had never felt before and it rose agonizingly slow. His legs tried to buckle but the metal locking held him in place and Stiles gasped as the fire infiltrated his lungs and scorched his throat. It was like nothing he had felt before and he instantly wanted it to end, "Fuck, what the fuck," he tried to breath and he tried to listen to what Derek was yelling to him but his mind was too busy putting its efforts into exterminating the foreign body currently prodding at his nerve endings. Finally it hit the base of his neck and his eyes, which had been painfully squeezed shut, flew open.

The burn was gone but all he could see was white, like static behind his eyes. He could feel himself blinking again and again but the sheet didn't fade. "Stiles!" He could hear Derek in the distance, as if he was screaming to him from across a football field. The new pilot tried to speak but his throat constricted, so instead of putting his effort into speech he reminded himself to breath and sucked in air until he felt like he was going to pass out.

Right Hemisphere Initiated

Stiles could hear the robotic voice in the speaker of his helmet and as the last word was uttered he felt a jolt spark into the back of his neck. The heat was back and he tried not to whimper when it seared between his temples. He wanted to crumble, to fall to the floor of the room and stay there for hours. He wanted to dive into a pool of ice and never come to the surface. It wasn't even pain, it was pressure and heat, and his mind knew that it was being invaded which made him naturally resistant to the process.

Neural Bridge Active in 3... 2... 1...

The pain was gone. Just the fog and a white flash, until he was crashing, falling. His body was somewhere else and he felt infinitely small where ever he had gone. Stiles tried to breathe but it almost felt as though he had forgotten how. And then it happened.

A face. Places. Schools. Friends. It pulled him in like a tornado and twisted him again and again. A pretty girl with dark hair and dark eyes, a woman, tall and unconventionally beautiful. Words, so many words. Stiles finally breathed, sucking in air and shaking when he exhaled. Trees, beautiful tall trees and a pain all too familiar to him. The memories felt like cars slamming into him again and again and Stiles was having more than a hard time keeping a hold of each one. He could hear Derek's ragged breath and his desperate plea, "Stiles, don't," but his face was already there. Soft, with a square jaw and eyes the color of water. More laughter. He recognized the laugh, Allison, then another, Isaac. A few voices were unrecognizable, names he didn't know, places he hadn't been. His mind immediately latched to the ones he knew and it made the memory sharp and clear. Stiles took in a short breath, and squirmed against the locks that held him down as he drifted deeper and deeper.

"Jackson!"

That was his name, and it was Derek shouting it. His heart was racing, anxiety, fear, anger, adrenaline, it was all there and Stiles had no idea what was his and what was Derek's and what was left-over from the memory. "You need to hold on, Jackson, don't you fucking do this to me," Stiles' eyes filled with tears and he didn't try to control them as they slid down his cheeks. He could feel it, every bit of it. Every stitch of emotion Derek had felt when... Stiles audibly choked on a sob when he heard the strangers voice whisper something about a woman named Lydia. "C'mon, we're gonna get you out of here," he could see the man's face, Derek's co-pilot. Derek was crying. Jackson was crying. The mans chest was concaved with blue matter, sand, ocean water. Stiles tried to focus. Kaiju blue. It was peppered across Derek's forearms. The scars. Those scars. Stiles felt something stab into his gut and he bit down on his lip to keep quiet. It felt like someone had shoved their hand inside of him and twisted, pulled, gnawed on the bottom of his ribs. Stiles cried. He cried and tried to open his mouth to say something but there were no words, and once again he had to remind himself to breathe.

"Stiles!" Derek's voice.

The tears burnt and he tasted salt.

"Stiles, come back!" His voice again, feigning strength of his own.

Derek was trying to swim through Stiles' memories. To find him. To get to him. But Stiles was too complicated to make that easy. His memories surrounded him like moving pictures in a scrapbook, the first person he kissed was a girl, a pretty girl in eighth grade, and it was a peck on the lips. His second kiss was with a boy and it was his freshman year, a real kiss, a deep, long, sensual kiss that left Derek breathless in his mind. But the words that came after caught him like a fish on a hook, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry about her. Claudia... She was-"

The pain hit and it too was familiar. An ache, a rip. Something completely out of the ordinary. Derek blinked and shook his head, calling to Stiles again and again with no answer. He had more control, he had to keep telling himself that in order to get to him. But something stopped the seasoned pilot dead in his tracks and it sent Derek's heart into a frenzy. "Code blue!" The words rang out between his ears like a siren and Derek felt his legs running even though he was grounded in place. His lungs heaved. His finger tips were numb. "Get him out of here!" It was a woman. Her outfit was yellow. She was wearing... She had on a mask. A nurse. She was a nurse. It was like the flood gates had been opened after Derek put two and two together and suddenly he was staring down at white floors and the air smelt like antiseptic and ace bandages. "We're losing her!" He could hear it. The machines. The noises they made were almost as frantic as his voice. He could hear Stiles. Hear him crying. Screaming. "M-mom, mom! C'mon, do something!" He was screaming. His hands were sweating and he had his phone pressed to his ear, stumbling over his tears and leaving voice mail after voice mail for a father that never did end up making it there that day.

Derek was clawing at the outside of the memory, digging at it, trying desperately to escape but the sound of the flat line instantly made him drop. He could feel it in his knees, when Stiles had fallen to the floor and Derek wasn't ashamed when tears stung at his eyes. The memory was prominent and it's strength took the breath away from Derek.

"Derek..." Stiles' voice was weak and worn but Derek followed it, calling back.

More memories. Stiles getting accepted to Brown. His father drinking. Danny. So many different voices, so many different languages. It was hard to decipher what was what but finally he broke through. It felt like he had been drowning and was sucking in his first breath of fresh air.

"Stiles! Look at me!" Derek snapped his head to the side, heaving in breath after breath, the relief of escaping the memory flooding through him.

Stiles could hear him, but his mind was still jostled. Something about a fire. Jackson. The Kaiju. A woman who had hair like flames. Allison. "You're my best friend," her sing song voice rang out and it gave Stiles a small sense of comfort.

Derek could hear Raleigh talking calmly through the speaker. Get him back. It's all he kept saying and the alpha was doing the best he could. "Stiles, I need you to focus on my voice. I need you to turn your head and look at me," Derek spoke slowly, firmly and grinded his teeth together when he didn't get a response. "Raleigh! He's chasing, I think he's harnessed-"

"Get him back," the rough voice was short and Derek's eyes rolled as he tried to concentrate. His mind ached from trying to bridge with Stiles, but he closed his eyes and breathed again, "Stiles!"

Stiles heard him again and as he peered through the tall trees in the forest in some rainy state and reminded himself to breath. "Come back!" His voice again. "Kid! Wake the fuck-"

Stiles gasped, wincing when his eyes blinked and he twisted his head to stare over at Derek whose eyes lidded in instant relief. When he opened them Stiles was still watching him, and they stayed like that for a moment, eyes searching for some kind of answer to what both of them had just seen. "You with me?" Derek's voice was shaky but he moved the shaft of the arm forward and Stiles matched his movement, nodding, "I'm with you."

They were exhausted through the rest of the simulation and Stiles flinched when the hologram of mangled teeth and blue liquid crashed down in front of him. His fear subsided, Derek's confidence washing over him. Left. Right. Dodge. He could feel it in his fingertips, in his toes, the way the Jaeger moved, the way Derek's body moved. Finally when the Kaiju fell and the words -simulation complete- flashed across the screen, Stiles took the time to inhale through his nose and exhale through his mouth.

When they pulled out of drift he was light headed and when the locks to his mock boots clicked open he stumbled into the pillar behind him. Derek hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder, green eyes prying at Stiles, "Hey, you okay?" Stiles lifted his eyes and nodded when he tried to steady himself, but once again they stood stationary and looked at each other. It was strange to think that they had just spent time re-living each others memories, fighting them, battling their own demons and each others. Stiles felt like he suddenly knew Derek better than most people, but he wasn't naive enough to truly believe that. "I'm sorry," the words were rushed under Stiles' breath but Derek didn't seem to notice them.

Raleigh opened the doors and was at their side quicker than Stiles had expected him to be. "We almost lost you," his voice was warm and he smiled at Stiles whose eyes were heavy and whose body and mind were completely drained. "Sorry about that," Stiles' voice was raspy and he cleared his throat, reaching up to touch two fingers to the moisture on his cheek. He looked to Derek and swallowed when he saw the remnants of tears across the alpha's face as well. "It happens, I'm just glad he got you back. You guys did better than I expected for your first run, usually no one actually fights after the innitial drift," Raleigh patted Stiles on the back and glanced at Derek who nodded slowly, "Derek's done this more times than he can count so don't worry about it, you did good." Stiles didn't care much for talking or hearing about how bad or good he had done. All he wanted at this point was either a place where he could sleep or a place where he could talk to Derek privately about what had just gone on in his head.

The memories still stung and when Derek's eyes blinked at him Stiles couldn't help but look away. Raleigh guided them into the hall and told them to relax the rest of the day and to get something to eat. Stiles wrinkled his nose in protest but Derek shrugged, "I know, it sounds like the last thing you want to do but you need to get something in your system." Stiles nodded sheepishly and strained his eyes when he pushed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose. Raleigh had scheduled them for training in the morning, dual combat and another simulation, but Stiles didn't know whether he was ready to be back inside Derek's head or not. The beta flinched when he looked to the end of the hall and saw the elevator doors close in front of Raleigh. "You're claustrophobic," Derek's voice was gentle and slow but none-the-less heat rose into Stiles' cheeks and he stammered over his words, "Y-yeah, since my-"

"I know," Derek tried to politely interrupt but Stiles still bit at his nails nervously. "So... I guess, food, sleep? I'd prefer sleep but if you think I should eat then I'll take your word for it," Stiles tilted his head to the side, cracking his neck and sighing as his mind finally started to calm down. "The first few minutes out of drift are weird," Derek mumbled, but he shoved his hands in the pockets of his khaki pants and gestured with his chin towards the stairs, "text Allison and Scott. We'll grab Isaac on the way and go out for fish."

Stiles narrowed his eyes when Derek walked away but he complied and slid his phone out of his pocket to send a few quick texts. It was obvious that Derek was avoiding being alone with him, and that was for good reason because if Stiles did have him alone he wouldn't be able to help questioning the experience they had just shared. Stiles sighed while he paced to catch up to him and tried to shove the thoughts to the back of his mind. He couldn't blame Derek for his reserve, Stiles had reservations of his own, but for some reason the beta couldn't help but want to dance with the skeletons in Derek's closet.